By cipher over a direct wire

to Stalin

I have just read the telegram of the Chief commander, which was sent to you last night immediately upon receipt of your considerations and in response to these considerations1. I find that the chief commander is quite right that the operation on the Crimea can not be delayed and that the Polish 522 is necessary on the Zapfront. I have just received news from Germany that there is a battle in Berlin3and the Spartacists have taken possession of part of the city1*. Who will win is unknown, but it is necessary for us to speed up the seizure of the Crimea as much as possible in order to have our hands quite free, for the civil war in Germany may force us to move to the West to help the Communists.

Lenin.

Published in part - V.I.Lenin. Biographical Chronicle. Т. 8. M., 1977, p. 402.

Fond 2, op. 1, d. 8924 - autograph of E.M.Sklyansky.

1* Further the text of the telegram has not been published before

1Referring to the following telegram: "Komandzap. Copy: Komandkavkazsky. Moscow. March 15, 20. 23 hrs. 55 min.

The Government has given a directive to seize the Crimea as soon as possible, in fulfillment of which I order: 1) to reinforce the units operating in the Crimean direction with no less than six brigades over and above the 46th and Estonian Division in their full strength at the expense of the troops at work and on the internal fronts, without weakening at all any part of the Polish section of the Yugozapfront, 2) the 52nd Infantry Division, which is being concentrated by the Caucasian Front [in] the area of Slavyanoserbsk, I transfer it to your front reserve and permit it to be used for fighting on the internal front, but with its units to be kept always in readiness for rapid transfer to the Polish front, 3) the First Brigade of the 29th Division, which I transferred earlier to the command of the Caucasian Command, I am also transferring to you the First Brigade of the 29th Division, which I transferred earlier to the command of the Kommandkavkazsky Division, to the front reserve, since this brigade may be involved in the combat operations of the front, but with the intention of keeping it as a brigade of the 29th Division, scheduled for transfer after the 52nd Rifle Division to the Polish front. 4) At the same time I inform you that on these days echelons with Vohra, assigned to the South Zapfront, 5) I believe that a decisive operation to take possession of the Crimea should begin no later than the end of March, 6) urgently report your considerations, 7) urgently inform the Caucasian Front about the orders made on the basis of this directive about the 52 Infantry Division and the first brigade of the 29th Division.

Commander-in-Chief S. Kamenev. Member of the FAR Kursky. Nachshtarevsovet Lebedev". The document has a note by Lenin: "(((to the archive)))) (about the Crimea) 17/111 (Secret)" (RCCHIDNI, f. 2, op. 1, d. 13315). The published document is dated on the basis of the note.

2V.I.Lenin means the 52nd Infantry Division, which at that time was in the area of Slavyanoserbsk on the Northern Donets River. It was not sent to the Polish front, in May-June 1920 it participated in the battles for the Crimea.

3V.I.Lenin informs Stalin about the so-called "Kapp putsch" in Germany on March 10-17, 1920. On March 13 the putschists seized the city of Berlin. They demanded dissolution of the national assembly and election of a new president. A general strike began in the country. The putsch was liquidated. V. Kapp fled to Sweden.